


Smol Hawk

by AvaKelly



Series: Bits and Pieces [25]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Deaf Clint Barton, Falling In Love, Fanart, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, JARVIS is a good bro, M/M, Natasha Knows Everything, Oblivious, Pining, Steve is a Troll, Tony Is a Good Bro, clint fails at technology, clint is clueless, drawings and artists, online relatioships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 07:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7749268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvaKelly/pseuds/AvaKelly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anonykitten said: <i>Clint is getting frustrated because everyone ends up drawing or photographing him so he's shorter than Steve. Steve "helps" by standing too close behind him so he's peeking over his shoulder is the next photo. Clint enjoys it maybe a little too much.</i></p><p>Or: the story of the Smol Hawk and the Tol Troll.</p><p><a href="http://kingbirdkathy.tumblr.com/post/151292238097/quick-draft-for-the-fic-smol-hawk-by-avakelly-on"> Smol art</a> by <a>Kait</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smol Hawk

**Author's Note:**

> [Dragonland.](http://intermittently-ava.tumblr.com/) [Smol Hawk post.](http://intermittently-ava.tumblr.com/post/148833347107/clint-is-getting-frustrated-because-everyone-ends) This is not beta'd, so there might be awkward phrasings and such. If you see anything gritting on nerves, do let me know. :)  
>  Lovely Kait made some lovely art for it :D Check out the link in the summary or at the end of the fic. Check out all their awesomely talented stuff!

Clint doesn't notice it at first. It's not because Steve's usually standing slightly behind him, but because he's so close and Clint is monumentally bad at seeing things near him unless they smack him in the face.

Which is exactly what happened. Well, not literally, but Clint did stumble and his ass did say hello to the floor... but he's getting ahead of himself.

So. Clint doesn't notice anything weird at first.

Tony's been cackling for a week about these websites dedicated to the Avengers and there is this and that online, whatever. Honestly, Clint hasn't been paying attention because Tony talks too fast and away from him and Clint's just too lazy to put in his ears when they don't have something serious to discuss.

But Tony's excitement is contagious and soon everyone keeps checking and refreshing and agh! Even Nat's doing it. So when she throws him an amused look that is way too amused to be innocent, that's when Clint becomes suspicious.

Clint is... in awe. The internet is full of art and drawings and stories about the Avengers. There are even comics drawn by people. Full, fleshed out, comics. Clint almost cries when he sees his purple aids in one of the frames. He never had this as a kid.

And then, Tony shows him the fanmail. All these messages and letters that are addressed to the Avengers by kids and adults alike.

Tony doesn't stop here, no. He shows Clint the account for Hawkeye and Clint spends an entire week answering emails that are for him and him alone. He hasn't even thought that... it's... shut up, he's not crying. Ok, maybe a little.

He embraces it like it's nobody's business.

Two things stick out, though, a few months after this discovery. For one, people don't recognize him on the streets if he's not in his suit. Which is actually a good thing, because his job is dangerous and anonymity is something to be cultivated in his line of work.

Second, why do people keep drawing him so short?

He is not short. He is not 'smol birb' whatever that means.

At least they got the purple passion right.

~

There's this one artist that focuses on Clint and Steve particularly. Clint doesn't want to dwell too much on that and gently tells his browser that no, he doesn't want too see 'nsfw' content, thank you very much. Ever since Tony found that drawing of Thor and Steve... yeah, nobody wants to have a repeat of that.

So, the artist. His handle is ProblematicIcon, everyone calls him Ike, and he's starting to get on Clint's nerves, even though his art is something that Clint likes a lot.

By a lot, he means a futzing lot-lot. He would bake this guy cookies if he knew how to bake.

Clint squints at the tablet in his hands. He's been engaged in a back and forth with Ike since four coffees ago. Ike keeps poking fun at Hawkeye's height. Clint is trying to be smooth in his replies, but he's not making a good job of it, because Ike's amusement is bleeding through from the screen. Clint doesn't need to see him to know he's laughing his ass off.

'Don't you dare draw me as a twink,' Clint writes back.

'Why not? You are a smol hawk. Bet if we stand next to each other I could put my chin on your head.'

Clint growls loud enough to startle the coffeeshop patrons around him.

'You great ass,' he types, hits send.

'Thanks. Your ass is great, too,' comes back.

And Clint smacks his palm over his forehead hard enough to hurt. He meant big. Big ass. A little whine escapes his lips.

'Why are you like this?' he asks Ike.

Nothing comes back on his messenger thing, so Clint returns to his coffee. Does he have any clean pants left? Maybe. He'll have to ask JARVIS. Living at the Tower does come with its perks. The tablet pings.

'It's not me. It's you. You're walking right into these and I can't help myself because you're a precious dork who's highly intelligent and underrated. But if I overstepped a line, I apologize. Won't bother you anymore.'

The whine from earlier? It would come back now if it weren't for the big lump in Clint's throat. Most likely his heart, yeah, his heart's in his throat, trying to beat its way out of him to run to this Ike that Clint hasn't even seen.

'It's fine,' Clint types back.

And things go on just like before. Well, almost like before, because Ike now flirts very tentatively, and Clint ruins his attempts, but Ike doesn't let that deter him, which makes Clint more smitten each time.

Did he say smitten? Aw, no. This is bad.

~

"Why?" Clint complains out loud, holding the latest trending piece of drawing of the Avengers. He is dwarfed by Captain America in it.

Next to him, Steve laughs and Clint punches his arm. But then Steve refills his coffee, so Clint forgives him.

"I don't understand why they're drawing me so... so... little!"

Steve looks like he's barely holding in laughter and Clint glares.

"Look," Steve says, placing a hand on Clint's shoulder and bending down so he can look at Clint in the eyes, "I think the fans just need someone be cute for them. The gruesome reality of what we actually do is too much for the regular folk. Let them have this, Clint. We kill when we fight, and their lives are shitty enough for us to remind them of the blood on our hands as well."

Clint blinks. "You are really good with speeches," he says, to hide how flustered he is by Steve's proximity.

Steve looks away, a smirk pulling at half his mouth as he straightens. Clint finds his nose too close to Steve's chest, so he climbs on his chair and leans his elbow on Steve's head.

"Who's the short one now?"

It earns him a laugh. "Wanna go practice with the shield some more?" Steve asks.

"Lead the way," Clint waves. They've been spending time together lately. Training, most of all, but also Clint's taken it upon himself to show Steve the underground part of New York while Tony drags him to the high society things. Clint likes Steve, he's a straight forward no bullshit slightly angry ball of ideals. He's passionate about a lot of things, many of which include societal issues of some sort. He even dragged Clint to a Deaf community rally once.

Steve grabs Clint and throws him over his shoulder, though, and Clint tries to stifle his surprise. Unsuccessfully.

"Put me down," he groans.

Steve laughs and says something that might or might not be about a small hawk. Clint's not sure.

"Rogers, put me down or I'll pinch your ass!"

A louder laugh comes back. "I gotta get my warm up in, and you're just the right size. Compact and small."

Clint pinches as hard as he can. Steve's resonating yelp is so satisfying, even though now Clint's ass is on the floor in the middle of a hallway. He kicks out and Steve faceplants toward the ground, but catches himself elegantly. Clint rolls his eyes at him.

"What are you two doing?" Natasha's voice drifts over and Clint crosses his legs beneath himself as he rotates to look at her.

"Training," he says.

"Right," Nat returns, unconvinced. "Please don't hump in the hallway."

Clint laughs, elbowing Steve, but when he looks over Steve's facing away. Is his ear tip red... anyway. He sighs loudly and waves at Natasha.

"Steve's been making fun of me," he explains, and he is aware of how much like a child he sounds, but Nat smiles at him like she always does when nobody else is looking. Clint winks with half a grin.

"You don't say, smol birb," she returns.

"Not you, too! How is this my life. You know that new art of all of us?" Nat nods at that and Clint waves both hands. "They drew me even shorter, by at least two more inches!"

Natasha drops the newspaper she's been holding onto Clint's head and he grabs it.

"It's a rendition of the newest picture," she says.

And indeed, there it is, on the front page, an image that has all Avengers in a line, battle gritty, smoke in the background. They were tired, but happy they managed to save a zoo full of children and innocent animals, so when a kid reporter asked for a pic, they all posed patiently.

Wait a minute.

"Steven!" Clint shrieks.

But Steve's already running away.

Clint huffs and glares at the newspaper. On the page, Steve's standing very close to Clint, slightly behind him, on his toes.

To make himself look taller. Or make Clint look smaller. Ugh.

Nat chuckles and Clint lies back down on the tiles, arms spread sideways.

~

Ike refuses to redraw the pic when Clint asks.

'Why not,' Clint sends.

'Because you're cuter like that,' comes back.

This flirting is getting out of hand and if Clint didn't like it so much, he'd put a stop to it. Yet, he can't.

'But I'm not that short,' he complains.

'You know, maybe Cap had his reasons for doing that. Did you ask him?'

Clint thought about it, but every time he tried in the past week, he hasn't managed to get a straight answer.

'He won't say.'

'Did you actually ask him, or did you beat around the bush without posing the question?'

Clint pauses. When did Ike get to know him so well... but he's not wrong. Clint's heart beats with a flutter against his ribs.

Aw, heart. This is so not good. Not at all.

He changes the subject and hopes Ike won't be mad. He isn't and Clint breathes easier.

~

"Ask him out already," Nat says and Clint snorts in his coffee.

"Yeah, no."

"Ask who out?" Tony says as he ambles into the kitchen, hair sticking up on his head, a streak of grease on his cheek.

With a whine, Clint leans his forehead on the table.

"Clint been messaging with one of the artists on that account you made for him. He's interested," Nat says, poking at Clint's shoulder.

"Uh..." Tony turns to them, cookie jar hugged to his chest, "no he's not."

"What do you mean?" Nat asks.

"He's not talking to an artist. Nobody from the public can access the messaging system on those accounts, they're Avengers only."

Clint's head snaps up so fast, he almost topples his mug over. Natasha stares at Tony. A beat later, and Tony startles enough to take a step back.

"It's not me," Tony says.

Clint looks between him and Nat, the weight of this discovery settling over him in layers.

Tony lifts his chin with realization. "You said artist? Rogers draws."

Nat is suspiciously silent. Clint points a finger at her.

"You knew!"

"Wait," Tony says, "it's you? He's been pining since forever, oh my--JARVIS, call Pepper, I have news," he mutters as he walks out of the kitchen.

Clint wants to ask what is happening, but all that comes out of his throat is a high pitched 'eep.' Nat pats him on the shoulder.

"He's... really into you," she offers.

"How didn't I see this," Clint mumbles. "What do I do?"

Nat leans closer. "Take a chance."

~

After careful consideration, Clint has come to a conclusion. He really likes Steve-Ike. Really. But he hasn't scrounged up enough nerves yet to tell him that yes, he knows who he is and could they go out for coffee, maybe.

But when the next photo shoot happens, and this time it's in a studio, part of a charity campaign Pepper's coordinating, Clint steps closer to Steve.

Leans into him, enjoying the heat coming from him even through the layers of clothing.

Steve is flustered, but hiding it well, and Clint grins to himself for two whole days afterward. Tony calls him creepily in love, but he's not outing him to Steve either. Clint thanks him.

~

It's the middle of the night when Clint takes a deep breath and finally clicks on that 'nsfw' folder on Ike's website. Well, Steve's website.

He is floored. Not in a bad way. These drawings are gorgeous. And hot. And whoa...

There's one of him and Steve, well actually of a Cap and a Hawk, because Steve isn't drawing their own faces. There's one of them sleeping. They're naked, a sheet covering their lower halves. The one that's supposed to be Clint is sleeping on the other's chest, who has an arm wrapped around the smaller figure's shoulders. Their fingers are intertwined over the edge of the sheet as it rides low on the hips of the man sleeping on his back.

Clint's heart pangs with longing. He wants this more than anything, he realizes.

There's a note beneath the drawing and Clint's breath sticks to his throat as he reads it.

_He doesn't know I dream of him. He doesn't know I long for this embrace, this closeness. I wish one day he'd turn to me and say "Hey, I know you. I see you. I want you." But he's not even looking._

It's dated months ago. Clint can't wait. He can't make Steve wait anymore.

"JARVIS, where's Steve?"

"Captain Rogers is in his room, Agent Barton. He appears to be sleeping. Would you like me to wake him?"

"No, thanks."

Clint's already stumbling into his sleep pants as he hurries down the dark corridor. He hasn't realized he forgot to drag a t-shirt on until he's in front of Steve's door.

He ponders knocking over barging in, when the lock opens with a soft click. Clint eyes the walls suspiciously. But he accepts the help, whoever is watching right now.

Steve's sleeping on his back, chest uncovered and sheet bunched around his middle. He's likely naked and Clint feels his cheeks heat, but he walks forward anyway, until he can stretch on the mattress.

He lies there, watching Steve's ribcage move with his breaths, unsure of his next action, when Steve shifts. He blinks awake, frowning at Clint.

"I see you," Clint says.

A beat, and Steve's face lights up, honest to everything sacred in the world, lights up with so much brightness in his smile that Clint has to close his eyes.

His knuckles come to caress Clint's cheek and Clint shifts closer.

Why didn't Steve tell him, Clint wants to ask, but all that comes out of his mouth is "Kiss me."

He doesn't have time to be surprised at himself, because Steve is right there, lips hot and so, so good.

Clint melts against the mattress, pulling Steve closer. He rolls on his back--

Thud.

"Owww," he manages between pain and the laughter that shakes his entire frame.

Steve is looking at him over the edge of the bed, his concern soon replaced by mirth as well.

"Did you hurt your great ass, sweetheart?"

But then he pulls Clint back on up, sprawled onto his lap, and rubs at Clint's behind over his pants.

And Clint... Clint can't contain the way that 'sweetheart' makes him feel. Cherished. So he wraps himself around Steve's torso, pushes and prods, until they're lying down like in that drawing. Steve's arms are wrapped around Clint, though, so tightly it's hard to breathe, and Clint feels a peck to the top of his head. He matches it with one on Steve's chest.

"Wanna try that kiss again?" he asks.

"Yes please," Steve says.

He manages to avoid the floor this time, but only because Steve holds onto him. And yep, it's confirmed. Steve's naked under the sheet, and soon so is Clint. He hasn't come here for this, but Steve just presses them together, skin on skin, the contact marvelous and amazing. Just like that, without expectations, only caresses.

Much like all of Clint's interactions with him, either in the Tower or online.

And Clint finds himself drifting off to sleep.

~

The morning is far from the awkwardness Clint's expected ever since opening his eyes.

Instead, it's infused with more kissing, no talking, smiles and blue eyes sparkling in the morning light.

It isn't only until they're sharing coffee, still tangled in the sheets, that Clint figures it out. When Steve tells him "I'm happy you came," and his mouth is moving, fingers holding Clint's chin up so he can see it. His aids are on the nightstand, his ears don't itch like they do when he falls asleep with them on, Steve's warm and considerate and knows Clint...

His heart is trying to crawl out his throat again.

"I'm happy, too."

~End~

[Awesome smol art](http://kingbirdkathy.tumblr.com/post/151292238097/quick-draft-for-the-fic-smol-hawk-by-avakelly-on) by [Kait](http://archiveofourown.org/users/kait)

~


End file.
